Electrical fitting for cord sets



ELECTRICAL FITTING FOR CORD SETS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 10, 1938 Feb.13, 1940. R. KNAPP ELECTRICAL FITTING FOR CORD SETS Filed Jan. 10, 19382 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z. a z

Patented Feb. '13, 1940 UNITED STATES ELECTRICAL FITTING. FOR CORD SETSRaymond Knapp, Long Island city, N. Y., assignor to Knapp-MonarchCompany. St.

' Louis, Mo., \a corporation of Missouri Application January 10, 1938,Serial No. 184,272

Claims.

An object of my present invention is to provide an electric ntting forcord sets, particularly the female fitting thereof, which iscomparatively simple to assemble and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object is to provide an electrical tting for cord sets whereinterminal sleeves are fully imbedded in a plug body of insulatingmaterial, such as rubber, and the electric wires of -o a supply cord maybe quickly connected with the .terminal sleeves in a novel manner and ina minimum of time. l Another object is to provide an electrical fittinghaving passageways through which connecls tor elements connected withthe ends of supply wires may be passed during assembly, the connectorelements being aligned by the passageways with the terminal sleeves inthe plug body, whereby they may thereafter be connected thereto by meansof screws projected through periorations in the inner ends of theterminal sleeves and into the connector elements.

Still another object is to provide a connector element which has athreaded bore extending throughout its length to receive a connectorscrew in one end thereof and the end of a supply wire in the other endthereof, the wire being electrically and mechanically connectedtherewith by squeezing or contracting a portion of the connectingelement on to the wire, whereby the threaded bore of thevconnectorelement so grips the wire that it is held against pulling out of theconnector element.

A further object is to provide connector elements which may be readilyreplaced even though the connector elements themselvesv and the terminalsleeves are entirely imbedded in the plug body, the parts being soarranged that there is no possibility during normal use of the supply 40cord of loosening the connections as a resultof pulling strains thereon.

Still another object is to provide a modied construction in which theterminal sleeves are connected directly to the supply wires after the 45wires are projected throughout the entire length of the plug body, thewire then being retracted and the'terminal sleeves forced to an imbeddedposition in the plug body.

Still a further object is to provide a fitting 50 comprising a plug bodyin which the terminal elements are completely imbedded or countersunkwithin the outline of the plug, yet connection of the wires of a supplycord therewith may be readily eifected. Il With these and other objectsin view my lnvention consists in the construction, arrangement andcombination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objectscontemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointedout in my claims, and illustrated in the 5 accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure l is a perspective view`of a supply cord showing an electricaltting embodying, my invention applied to one end thereof.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the 10 line 2--2 of Figure -1.

Figure 3 is a. sectional view on the line 3-'3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view, partly in section, .of one of theterminal sleeves of my elec 15 trical fitting.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the connector elements thereof.u

Figure 6 is a similar perspective view show-ing! the connector elementconnected with one end 20 of a supply wire. 5

Figure 7 is a bottom end elevation of one of the connector elementsshowing its initial shape.

Figure 8 is a similar view showing its shape after being deformed togrip the supply wire. 25

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a supply oord showing a modified formof my electrical fitting.

Figure 10 is an enlarged elevation thereof partly in section showing theparts in one position assumed during assembly. 30

Figure 11 isa similar view entirely in section showing the parts fullyassembled; and

Figure 12 is a partial sectional view showing a further modification. Y

On the drawings accompanying my specifcation, I have used the referencecharacter B to indicate generally a plug body. 'The body B may be formedof any suitable insulating material such as rubber or'the like. A supplycord A has one end connected therewith and its other end 40 connectedwith a plug B which` forms no part oi Amy present invention but is shownmerely by way of illustrating the complete cord set. The plug body B hasimbedded therein a pair of terminal sleeves T. Each sleeve T comprisesav tubular wall I0 and an inner transverse wall I2. The wall 4 I2 isperforated as indicated at i3, the perforations being somewhat smallerthan the bore I4 of the terminal element.

Connector elements C are connected with the terminal sleeves T by screwsI5. The supply cord A includes a pair of supply wires i8 imbedded in aninsulating cover I1, the wires'l being connected with the connectorelements C in a manner which will4 hereinafter be fully 2 2,1oo,ses

Assembly of the parts of Figures 1 to The terminal sleeves T 'are formedof brass or any suitable metal, their peripheries beingknurled asindicated at 24. The sleeves T are molded in the plug body B. Theknurling 24 aords an effective grip of the plug body on the terminalsleeves to prevent any possibility of pulling the sleeves out of theplug body as the parts are assembled cr when the tting is beingtransferred from one set of terminals to another. In Figure 2 I haveshown by way of illustration. a terminal 22 extending from a wall or thelike 23 of insulation and into one of the terminal sleeves T. Theterminal 22 may be connected with a dry shaver motor (not shown) or anydevice to be energized by electricity supplied by the cord A.

The terminalk sleeves 'I and the plug body B form one unit of theassembly. Another suit thereof consists of the supply cord A and theconnector elements C connected with the wires I6 thereof. Each connectorelement has a cylindrical shape as shown in Figures 5 and 7. After thewire I6 is inserted into the lower end ,thereof, such lower end isdeformed to the position shown in Figures 6 and 8. Such deformation ofthe connector element is facilitated by the cutaway portion 2I thereof.'I'he threaded bore 20 of the connector element extending throughout itslength provides teeth which out into the wire I6, thus eiiectivelygripping it against any longitudinal movement caused by subsequentpulling strains on the wire relative to the connector ele-` ment.

After the connector elements are connected with the supply Wires I6 inthe manner just described, they are pushed into the passageways I8 andare guided thereby to positions where the upper ends of their bores arein alignment with the perforations of the terminal sleeves T. Thereafterthe screws I 5 can be inserted and will properly coact with the threadedbores 20 when rotated by a screw-driver thrust into the bores of theterminal sleeves T. Since the sleeves and connector elements aresubstantially'circular in cross section and the perforations I3 and thebore 20 are at substantially their centers, it is obvious that the partswill be properly aligned by the pasageways I8 which of course arecentered relative to the sleeves T. Accordingly it is a simple matter toassemble the supply cord relative to the plug body and its terminal T.It is also a simple matter to remove the connector elements C in theevent that one of the wires I5 is broken loose therefrom or for anyother reason.

Assembly of the parts of Figures 9 to 12 In Figures 9 to 12 I showmodications of my electrical fitting for cord sets in which partscorresponding to those in Figures 1 to 8 have been giventhe samereference numerals with the addition of prime 'Ihe plug body isindicated at B" and instead of having the terminal sleeves molded in itas in Figure 2, they are adapted to be secured directly to the supplywires and then pushed into the plug body. The terminals indicated at Tare sleeve-like and provided with bores Il' and are also provided withthreaded portions 28' similar to the connector elements C in Figure 5.'I'he terminals themselves are also provided with cut-away portions 2I'so that when the wires I 5' are forced into them, the lower ends of theterminal members T may be clamped on to the wires.7 I6' as described inconnection with Figures 6 and 8.

The bores I8' of the'plug B" merge into a single bore I9' and duringassembly the Wires of the cord A' are inserted through the bores fromone end of the plug to the other, as shown in Figure 10, so that theyextend beyond the upper end of the plug. The terminals T' are thenmechanically and electrically connected with the wires I6' andthereafter the terminals forced back into the b ores I8' of the plugbody B" as the supply cord is retracted The final position of theterminals is `illustrated in Figure 1l.

The periphery of the terminal T' may be knurled as indicated at 24' sothat when it assumes its final position in the plug body, the knurlingwill project into the plug body adjacent the passageway I8 forthereafter preventing longitudinal movement of the terminal relative tothe plug body during normal use of the cord set.

As shown in Figure 12, additional means may be provided in the form of ashoulder 25 to prevent longitudinal movement of the terminal after it isonce assembled in position. The shoulder acts as an abutment to preventmovement of the terminal T into the plug body when pushing the terminalon to a terminal prong.

Some changes may be made in the construc- I tion and arrangement of theparts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose ofmy invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modiedforms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may bereasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electrical fitting for cord sets, a plug body, a pair ofterminals imbedded therein with their ends terminating between oppositeends thereon, passageways through said body having their inner endsterminating at the inner ends of said terminals, connector elementsconnected with the supply wires of a supply cord, said connectorelements being positioned in said passageways and aligned thereby withsaid inner ends of said terminals and means for connecting saidconnector elements and terminals together, said means comprising screwsthrough the terminals and threaded into said connector elements.

2. In a tting for cord sets, a plug body, a pair of terminal sleevestherein, passageways in said body, connector elements connected with thesup-v adjacent ends in contact, the heads of said screws beingaccessible through the outer ends of said terminal sleeves, portions ofsaid connector elements being contracted with their threads against saidsupply wires inserted therein.

3. In a tting of the character described, a plug body, a terminalelement imbedded therein, a passageway in said plug body beginning atone end thereof and terminating at said inner end of said terminalsleeve. a connector element slidn able in said passageway and having athreaded bore aligned thereby with said terminal element, a connectorscrew through said terminal element and threaded into said bore forconnecting said terminal element and one end of said connector elementtogether and a supply wire extending into the other end of said bore,said connector element being contracted to grip said supply wire.

4. In an electrical fitting, a plug body, a terminal therein having aperforation therein, a passageway in said plug body beginning at one endthereof and terminating at said perforation, said passageway beingcentered relative to said perforation, a connector element slidable insaid passageway and having a central threaded bore, a connector screwthrough said perforation and. threaded into said bore for connectingsaid terminal element and one end of said connector element together anda supply wire extended into the other end of said bore, said connectorelement having a sector thereof cut away and the remaining portionthereof being contracted whereby its threaded bore grips said wire toconnect the wire and connector element together.

5. In an electrical tting, an insulating body, a terminal mountedtherein, a screw passing through said terminal, a connector element, athreaded bore through said element, said screw being received at one endof said bore, and a supply wire being received at the other end of saidbore, said connector element being deformed adjacent the end thereof atwhich the supply wire is received, to cause tight engagement between thewalls of said threaded bore and the supply wire.

RAYMOND KNAPP.

